Lee T

If you run MainStage then don't forget to switch off auto save. It's not fun when it starts saving in the middle of a song.

Been using a MacBook for around three years now, running either MainStage or Gig Performer depending on the band and application. I've had some very minor glitches, mainly with one particular VST, but by and large it's been very stable. I will probably move to a Mac Mini solution next year, not one of the new ones but a very stable late 2012 Mini that allows hardware upgrades. This way I can rack mount the computer and control it from an iPad. Less visible, less likely to get damaged or stolen. SSD drives are becoming dirt cheap these days, so upgrade your Macbook's internal drive as it's then one less mechanical thing to break. The one big advantage for me of a software solution is that I can change the controller keyboards depending on the gig without any change to the sounds. It also means I can just schlep along a cheap m-audio controller for rehearsals.

Gone a bit Roli mad. Bought a Seaboard Block, then the Touch Block but all they did was whet my appetite for a Rise 49. Was pondering the purchase when a 15% discount voucher arrived from BAX music, which gave me a price of £715. No brainer. Also picked up the new Cypher 2 VST, and although a bit of a CPU hog it is a fantastic MPE synth.

I watch that Phillinganes video at least once a week as it makes me smile all the way through. 'She drives me crazy' is a riot. Also love the bit about 'Contusion'; "cause Stevie couldn't". Just a great musician with a biting sense of humour. Also, decided to learn 'Peg' off the back of this video ( oh.. and also bought Keyscape because of it )

Something quite different for me, a Novation Launchpad Pro. Just getting into Ableton Live and the Launchpad gives it another dimension. EDM music at nearly 60 years old? Why not...

Great update, and kudos to Acousticsamples for giving it for free for version one owners. I had been running B5 V1 through my mini vent but will try it through the onboard sim this weekend on a relatively Hammond light gig. Setting things up on headphones or smaller studio monitors sometimes leads me astray as to what it will sound like in a room through a PA, but up to now I'm liking the new Leslie sim. As Jim points out, there is a lot of room for customisation within both the Hammond and Leslie settings and the midi implementation seems to have been improved a lot. Steve, those presets do not appear to be loading.

Recent buys: a minty Kurz PC3x, Gig Performer and today arrives a new MacBook Pro with 16Gb RAM and a 1Tb SSD that I will be using for live work. Love the strings on the Kurzweil. Almost bought a Kronos but the MacBook will fill in the bits I'm missing from the PC3x and the MOXF8.